Are the Clippers pre season problems a reason to panic? It’s only the preseason, so there’s no reason to push the panic button. But if you’ve watched the Clippers’ three preseason losses, you’ve seen things that might have you looking for it. Some of the Clippers’ issues from last season have resurfaced – problems with defense and rebounding. And the small forward situation is somehow less settled than it was a year ago when the Clippers swapped Matt Barnes for Jared Dudley in the starting lineup. Monday’s 102-89 loss to the Jazz in Utah highlighted a little of everything currently wrong with the Clippers (in addition to showcasing the biggest thing going right). Like Portland did the night before, the Jazz splashed home open 3 after open 3, giving Doc Rivers a look at a problem he thought he solved. The team struggled to defend the deep ball under former head coach Vinny Del Negro, and it was Rivers’ top defensive priority a year ago. The team responded, leading the league in 3-point defense last season, holding opponents to a league-best 33.2 percent from deep. In the Clippers’ last two games, though, Portland and Utah drilled 56.4 percent of their 3’s, connecting on 31 triples against the Clippers’ ‘D’ on the last two nights. The one team who didn’t get going against the Clippers, Golden State, did end up on the foul line 47 times. So far this preseason, every Clipper opponent has scored more than 100 points, with the team allowing an average of 111. The Clippers are being routinely beaten off the dribble, and the defensive rotations are nowhere near sharp enough to allow for recovery. That, in theory, should get better, but for the time being, it’s leading to wide open looks. Another familiar problem, rebounding, has also resurfaced, with each opponent dominating the Clippers on the glass. Monday was the worst performance on the boards, with the Jazz pulling 23 more rebounds than the Clippers, who allowed the fifth-most rebounds a year ago. The team has also started three different players at small forward, with the hope than someone would take commanding control of the spot. But so far, Matt Barnes, Reggie Bullock and Chris Douglas-Roberts haven’t separated from one another. Douglas-Roberts got the start Monday and scored four points to go with four rebounds. Bullock played 16 scoreless minutes, and Barnes got Monday off. It hasn’t been all bad news, though. Blake Griffin’s offensive game looks refined, with Griffin firing from the outside with better technique and more confidence. Monday, he destroyed Utah’s young interior defenders, scoring 31 points in less than 30 minutes. Griffin, along with J.J. Redick (who scored 17), keyed the Clippers’ third quarter, when the team outscored Utah 35-25. Even Griffin hasn’t been able to get the Clippers a win, though, as his team has out-scored the opposition in just three quarters so far this preseason (one each game). The defense, which values the whole more than the individual, should improve as the team plays together more. The rebounding is a concern, but its not a debilitating one. Doc Rivers teams arent known for their ability on the glass. But things like production at small forward and stopping the 3-point shot need to be continuiosly monitored. The Clippers take the court again on Friday, where the final score won’t matter. The performance on it, though, that’s a different story. Via Bleacher Report PaulBankss
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 15:38:11 +0000
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